Vicki Valene Rose

Vicki Valene Rose, 73, ended her earthly journey in the early morning hours of October 31, 2023. She began life as Vicki Valene Knispel, born to Virginia and Emerson “Lee” Knispel on February 19, 1950, in Torrington, Wyoming. Her parents bought her an upright piano at the age of 3, which she could play without formal lessons. She was a frequent accompanist in churches, became a sought-after concert pianist, and provided piano lessons to others.

Vicki spent her adult life primarily in Scottsbluff, Nebraska in the 1970s – working as a top-selling Avon lady and secretary for a radio station before moving to Casper, Wyoming in 1979. In Casper, during the 1980’s she worked as a secretary and bookkeeper for Pioneer Cleaning Company before working in advertising for the Casper Star Tribune and Horizons magazine. By the 1990’s she was the administrative secretary for St. Mark’s Episcopal Church in Casper, until her early retirement in 2003. She moved to Pueblo, Colorado in 2015.

Vicki’s creative spirit will be missed. She released a professionally recorded CD, “Vintage” in 2003, consisting of popular melodies for solo piano. She enjoyed all types of music and maintained a large music collection from multiple genres and generations. Her favorite musician was Prince, whom she saw in concert with her son no fewer than four times. Vicki was also an artist who loved to paint landscapes and abstracts on canvas with oils and acrylics. She enjoyed cooking, recipe collecting, and television shows about cooking. She was an avid reader and wanted to learn about all cultures, customs, religions, and spiritual beliefs. She loved animals, especially cats. She was a writer who continued to send cards and letters by mail. The following is something she wrote on a notepad found after her death, dated February 14, 2020:

I pray that I have a soul.

… A soul that knows me,

All the bad I’ve done and all the good.

I so pray that I’ve done all the good.

I do believe in karma. I know I’ve done bad.

God is real. I don’t know who (male or female) It is –

But something or someone had to create all of this – the universe.

And how beautiful! I can never be tired of looking.

And I want to thank God for allowing ME to be a part of the universe,

His (?) universe.

[Signed]Vicki Knispel Mischel Byrd Rose

Vicki indeed had a soul! We thank her for sharing it with us, and she will forever be remembered and missed. Our time together was too short.

She shared loving relationships with marriages to Patrick D. Mischel, John E. Byrd, and Philip Jon (“PJ”) Rose. She referred to her most recent companion of nearly 18 years, James Wedemeyer, now of Bridgeport, Nebraska, as the love of her life. Vicki was preceded in death by her grandparents, Maude, John, and George Nolde; her parents, Virginia and Lee; and her brother George Blaine Knispel. She is survived by her sister Nanette (Kevyn) Meyer of Las Vegas, Nevada; and only son Nicholas Wayne Mischel (and Craig Wilkie) both of Pueblo, Colorado.

At Vicki’s request, no service is planned. To celebrate and share her art, The Sacred Bean coffeehouse at 209 S. Union (Pueblo, Colorado) will have a small gallery showing of her painted art, available for sale to benefit a local charity. Copies of her CD, “Vintage” will also be distributed there for free.

Cremation, Montgomery & Steward Crematorium and her niche inurnment will be at the Mountain View Cemetery Chapel Mausoleum in Pueblo.